Testimonial from Victor Sabourin, a member of the Planet Commission at Decathlon Outdoor, about our Biodiversity Training Program
"Today, we have a much clearer idea of the actions we need to take at Decathlon Outdoor."
Victor Sabourin is a member of the Planet Commission at Decathlon Outdoor, formerly Easy Mountains—the company behind the Mhikes app—which was acquired by the Decathlon Group in 2020. Decathlon Outdoor’s mission is to build a community of outdoor enthusiasts by making outdoor activities accessible to as many people as possible, while raising awareness about environmental stewardship. As part of this effort, the Planet Commission sought to go beyond a purely carbon-focused view of its environmental impact by incorporating biodiversity issues. To achieve this, capacity building was necessary, and Victor turned to the Académie Carbone 4 and our training program “Building Your Biodiversity Roadmap.” Testimonial.
Can you tell us about your professional background before the training?
I come from the world of international tourism: I ran a travel agency in Latin America for several years after earning a master’s degree in international tourism in 2012. I hit a wall of environmental awareness in Peru, where I experienced a real disillusionment with the prevailing view of tourism—particularly among French travelers abroad—who engage in a form of “tourism consumption,” trying to cram all the “must-see” sites of a given country into ten days. Instead of visit Machu Picchu—we prefer it to do Machu Picchu…
So I returned to France and, as luck would have it, ended up at Decathlon Outdoor. Three years ago, we created a collective called the Commission Planète, which now consists of 6 to 8 employees. We serve as the CSR team within Decathlon Outdoor and, for the time being, still enjoy a certain degree of independence from the parent company. Back then, we were volunteers in this role, but we’ve since managed to secure an operating budget. We currently devote 10 to 20% of our work time to thinking about what we could do to improve day-to-day operations at the company. To do this, we first analyzed our practices and our business, and then worked to raise awareness among our employees, and in the end among our users. I must say that we remain pragmatic because we know we’re not the most virtuous company, even though efforts are undeniably being made and there’s a clear desire to move in the right direction.
What were your professional challenges before taking the training course?
The committee had voted to designate biodiversity as the focus for 2025. The idea was to move beyond our purely “carbon” focus: we spent three years measuring the company’s carbon footprint to establish a baseline, then gradually reduced the level of uncertainty and identified our main sources of emissions. Following this work, we wanted to understand what tools were available to begin assessing the impact of our operations on biodiversity—a truly massive undertaking. The idea was to have at least a broad overview and initial orders of magnitude so we could move forward.
How did you find out about our program, and what made you decide to enroll?
We were familiar with Académie Carbone 4 because Clémence, the co-leader of the Planet Commission, had already taken the “Building Your Climate Roadmap” training course a few years earlier. Knowing the reputation for professionalism that Carbone 4 has earned, we didn’t hesitate for long before deciding to take the “Building Your Biodiversity Roadmap” training course along with two of my other colleagues.
What skills or knowledge did you gain from the training?
The regulatory framework surrounding biodiversity is so vague—I’m thinking specifically of the SBTN—that the training was very helpful in allowing us to work through these regulations together. My colleagues and I aren’t biodiversity professionals, and we don’t receive in-house training on this topic, so it was essential for us to delve into this area. Beyond the regulatory aspect, it was great to engage in the exercise of thinking about and working on our entire value chain in depth—something we don’t necessarily think about.
Before taking the “Building Your Biodiversity Roadmap” training course, I was fortunate enough to have participated in the Business Climate Convention (CEC), so I had already gained a basic understanding of all ecosystem services—unlike my two other colleagues. We didn’t all have the same level of knowledge, but that wasn’t a problem because the first introductory module brings everyone up to speed so we can all start from a common foundation.
Following these initiatives, a roadmap for all business units within the Outdoor division—comprising 2,500 employees—is currently being developed. Specifically for Decathlon Outdoor, our roadmap is based on four main pillars: managing and minimizing Decathlon Outdoor’s impact on the climate and ecosystems; collaborating with Decathlon Outdoor’s stakeholders (users, partners) to regenerate ecosystems; creating value in new ways; and a governance component. This roadmap will subsequently be refined through collective intelligence workshops to determine how employees will integrate it into their daily work, and will ultimately be incorporated into the Group’s roadmap.
How have you applied what you've learned in your profession or within your company?
The training was really helpful in helping us understand our company’s impacts on and dependencies regarding biodiversity. We started with the ENCORE tool, which is free—a huge benefit when you don’t have a big budget. It gave us some direction and helped us get the basics down. We were then able to take it to the next level thanks to the knowledge we gained by joining the “Businesses Committed to Nature” program, with the help of our first intern in early 2025—we hadn’t had enough time to focus on it ourselves.
Today, we have a much clearer idea of the actions we need to take within Decathlon Outdoor. At the group level, that’s another matter, but at least we’re no longer completely in the dark when it comes to biodiversity. The training helped us realize the depth of the value chain we need to address, from the very end to the very beginning: the scope is broad.
What aspects of the training made the biggest impression on you?
I found the content to be very well put together and educational. The whole session was well facilitated by our two instructors, Alexis and Annie. I enjoyed the various discussions with the other learners; the hybrid format—combining remote and in-person learning—fostered a great sense of camaraderie.
I found the e-learning platform to be well-designed and user-friendly. Being able to access it even after the training is over makes it easy to review the material. I was also able to give my intern access to this content, and we were able to review it together afterward—it was very helpful for both of us.
Have you been able to raise awareness or provide training to other colleagues on these topics?
Of course! We run an internal awareness program. Several times a year, we organize events like “Fresques,” “Ateliers 2 Tonnes,” and “The Week,” and we’ve also brought in a nutritionist to talk about vegetarianism and physical activity. The goal behind these initiatives is to change our employees’ mindset. At the same time, we’re involved in corporate philanthropy, and I’d really like to take this aspect further to ensure that these “green days” aren’t just used as a token gesture and that our organization doesn’t fall into the trap of greenwashing. I’m thinking of projects in partnership with organizations like the LPO, for example, where our technical expertise could be useful.
Who would you recommend this training course to, and why?
For any small or medium-sized business or mid-sized company that’s just beginning to explore the topic of biodiversity, to understand where to start and how to make it more accessible to the rest of the organization. That’s exactly what we were looking for, and that’s what we walked away with!
Any advice for those who are still hesitant to take the plunge?
Without wanting to state the obvious, I’d say we shouldn’t be afraid to face reality head-on: yes, we all have an impact, and it’s only once we understand the depth of that impact that we can take action. There’s no point in beating ourselves up once we’ve come to this realization. Our impact is what it is; our company is what it is. The most important thing to keep in mind is that no action is too small—and that every single one counts!
